Eye on Extremism: August 3

[Boats]

Eye on Extremism: August 3, 2018
RE: https://www.counterextremism.com/rou...ism-august-3-2

The Wall Street Journal:

Iran Starts Naval Exercise Near Vital Strait, U.S. Says

“Iran began a major naval exercise near the Strait of Hormuz Thursday, in an apparent response to rhetoric from President Donald Trump in recent days that he would ratchet up pressure against Tehran, U.S. defense officials said. The U.S. believes the exercises “fully started” Thursday, one defense official said, and could continue until Aug. 6. A second official said there are more than 100 boats and ships participating in the exercise, but most are considered smaller craft. On Thursday, the U.S. saw boats going in and out of port, the first defense official said. An air component, consisting primarily of unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, are also are participating in the exercise, a military official said. Alireza Miryousefi, press counselor for Iran’s United Nations mission, didn’t respond directly to questions about the military exercise, but pointed to a Twitter post written Thursday by Foreign Minister Javad Zarif criticizing the U.S. Navy for referring to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf and for patrolling waters “in our backyard.”
Associated Press: Watchdog Says Gaps In Syria's Chemical Weapons Declaration

“The international chemical weapons watchdog says there are still gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies in Syria's declaration of its chemical weapons, and the number of issues needing a response has increased. The latest report from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said the Syrian government has remained engaged with the OPCW, but the information it has provided has not resolved the issues. Deputy disarmament chief Thomas Markram briefed the U.N. Security Council behind closed doors Thursday on the report. The confirmed use of chemical weapons in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta in August 2013, which killed 1,400 people according to the U.S. government, led to a U.S.-Russian agreement to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons by mid-2014. The agreement required Syria to join the OPCW and declare all its chemical weapons and precursors, and there is growing frustration at Damascus' failure to satisfactorily answer all outstanding questions from the OPCW about its declaration.”

Daily Beast:

Inside The Secret Taliban Talks To End America’s Longest War

“If the United States’ longest foreign war actually draws to a negotiated close, a significant amount of credit will go to a former U.S. Army colonel and a former senior U.S. diplomat. In November, Chris Kolenda and Robin Raphel boarded a plane to Doha, Qatar, for a conversation with Taliban representatives. It was the beginning of a quiet channel, never authorized by U.S. officials—who neither paid them nor asked them to carry any messages—that proved to be instrumental in convincing the Trump administration, and particularly senior Pentagon and U.S. military officials, that there was a real chance to broker an end to the war. Kolenda, an Afghanistan veteran himself, had been here before. He had been part of an ultimately fruitless attempt during the Obama administration to talk with the Taliban. But this time, talking with the Taliban in Doha, “I was struck by what I detected was a much higher level of seriousness about bringing the conflict to a close than I saw in 2011,” Kolenda told The Daily Beast.”

The Atlantic:

Surviving In Syria’s ‘Forgotten Province’

“Syria’s civil war is entering a new phase, as the regime closes in on opposition-held areas. One region, Idlib, could be where the opposition makes its last stand. Some 3 million people—roughly half of them native residents and the other half displaced within the region or from other Syrian war zones—are stuck in Idlib and adjacent areas along with rebel fighters. A showdown will almost certainly cause a humanitarian catastrophe. Hundreds of thousands could flee in desperation to Turkish-held areas farther north or all the way to the Turkish border. Before 2011, when the Syrian civil war broke out, Idlib was the “forgotten province,” a place young people wanted to leave. Today, it’s a refuge for Syrians of all ages and places of origin—the prime destination for the country’s displaced. The war-weary arrivals have nearly doubled the population.”

Huffington Post:

Facebook And Instagram Let Neo-Nazis Run Clothing Brands On Their Platforms

“Facebook and Instagram allow prominent neo-Nazis and white supremacists to profit off their platforms, letting them sell merchandise such as children’s T-shirts with slogans saying “White baby ― the future of our race.” Last month, Facebook removed White Rex, a Russian-owned neo-Nazi clothing company, from its platform after HuffPost reported on the company. But at least three other brands including Sva Stone, Ansgar Aryan and Pride France, still maintain Facebook pages. White Rex is still on Instagram, which is owned by Facebook. The proliferation of white supremacist businesses on Facebook is more evidence of the social media giant’s inability to rein in radicalism and hate on its platform. Some of the clothing brand pages HuffPost identified have also been suspended or banned in the past, demonstrating the shortcomings of Facebook’s whack-a-mole approach to extremism. The clothing labels routinely use variations of well-known Nazi symbols and coded references in their products and Facebook posts but generally shy away from direct calls to violence or explicitly hateful rhetoric. Their support of white supremacy, however, is obvious after even a brief scroll through these pages.”

United States

Associated Press: Teen Accused In Attempted Backpack Bomb Pleads Not Guilty

“A teenager accused of trying to blow up a homemade backpack bomb at a St. George high school after looking at Islamic State propaganda has pleaded not guilty. The Spectrum newspaper in St. George reports the 16-year-old boy entered his plea Wednesday and is due back in court Aug. 22. The teen is charged with felony attempted murder and using a weapon of mass destruction, as well as misdemeanor graffiti and abuse of a flag. The charges were filed after the smoking backpack was found in a common area of Pine View High School in March. It failed to explode. Investigators found no known connections between the boy and the terror group. He's also charged with spray-painting "ISIS is comi_" on a Hurricane High school wall in February plus cutting up an American flag and replacing it on a flagpole with a homemade ISIS flag.”

FBI.Gov:

A Global Approach To Rooting Out Terrorism

“The United States woke up to the reality of terrorism on 9/11, but many of the African nations that participated in a recent FBI-led program aimed at countering violent extremism have been fighting terror attacks on their soil for decades. “Terrorism is a global problem, and it requires a global response,” said Special Agent Rick Hernandez, who provides counterterrorism training to the FBI’s international partners. The Bureau’s highest priority is to prevent terror attacks in the United States, Hernandez noted. “But if we can prevent an act of terrorism anywhere in the world, it helps keep America safe and it helps keep our partners safe.” The recent training—conducted at the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Roswell, New Mexico—included delegations from Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Angola, Botswana, and Mozambique. Delegates were police officers, prosecutors, and judges, and many had firsthand experience dealing with terrorism in their countries. In July 2010, suicide bombers in Uganda’s capital city of Kampala carried out attacks on crowds watching a World Cup soccer match, and more than 70 people were killed. Susan Okalany, a member of the Uganda delegation at ILEA, was appointed lead prosecutor in the case after her colleague in that position was assassinated.”

Syria

Reuters: Jordan Says Not Yet Ready To Open Border Crossing With Syria

“Jordan will reopen its border with Syria only when it is ready, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said on Thursday, in a signal that Amman could delay a decision that would boost President Bashar al Assad. Billions of dollars in annual trade with Europe and the Gulf moved through the Syrian-Jordanian Nassib crossing until fighting erupted in 2011. It was captured by rebels in 2015 and its closure hurt the economy of Syria and neighboring states. Damascus said this week the road was ready for use but Safadi said he had received no request to reopen it. “We will deal with the request with all positiveness that serves our interests,” he told a news conference with visiting French Foreign Minster Jean-Yves Le Drian. “Matters have to stabilize,” he said. Safadi said he discussed reopening the crossing with Moscow. The crossing’s recapture by Syrian forces was a central goal of a campaign launched last June by the government and Russian forces to regain control of rebel-held parts of the southwest.”

Asia Times:

China Says Willing To Team With Syria’s Assad In Push To Retake Territory

“China’s ambassador to Damascus has reportedly told Syrian media that Beijing is prepared to aid the government’s push to retake territory throughout the country. Speaking to Syrian pro-government daily Al-Watan, the envoy, Qi Qianjin, expressed China’s support for what he referred to as Syria’s war against terrorists, according to a dispatch from the Middle East Media Research Institute. Qi said he regretted that Chinese Uyghurs had participated in fighting against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, adding that the Chinese military was hoping to enhance relations with the Syrian military. “Asked about the possibility that his country would take part in the Syrian Arab Army’s upcoming campaign against the terrorists in Idlib, especially in light of the presence of Uyghur fighters [there], [Qi] replied that China ‘is following the situation in Syria, in particular after the victory in southern [Syria], and its military is willing to participate in some way alongside the Syrian army that is fighting the terrorists in Idlib and in any other part of Syria,” the article from Al-Watan was translated as saying.”

The Wall Street Journal:

Israel Says It Killed Suspected Islamic State-Linked Militants

“Israel’s military said Thursday it killed seven suspected Islamic State-affiliated militants in territory it controls near the border with Syria, reflecting the risk of spillover as the Assad regime presses a military campaign to retake the country’s southwest. The Israeli air force late Wednesday struck the militants as they crossed into Israeli-controlled territory with weapons, military officials said. The military described it as a “triangle area” near the borders of Israel, Syria and Jordan in the occupied Golan Heights.”
Associated Press: In Syria, Civil Registers Disclose Hundreds Of Prison Deaths

“For years, Yasser Khoulani sought news of his brothers Abdelsattar and Majd after they were hustled away by Syria’s secret police at demonstrations against President Bashar Assad in 2011. He knew they were being held at the notorious Saydnaya prison, where inmates are routinely beaten, raped and starved, according to testimony from former guards and inmates collected by rights groups. His mother spent close to $2,000 on a bribe to see one of the brothers behind a glass pane for just three minutes in 2012. The family held out hope that the two of them were alive. But last week, Khoulani learned from their updated civil registries that Abdelsattar and Majd perished in prison in 2013 without a chance for the family to say goodbye. After years of silence on the issue, the Syrian government has started updating civil registries to reflect deaths among its incarcerated population, activists say.”

The Atlantic:

Surviving In Syria’s ‘Forgotten Province’

“Syria’s civil war is entering a new phase, as the regime closes in on opposition-held areas. One region, Idlib, could be where the opposition makes its last stand. Some 3 million people—roughly half of them native residents and the other half displaced within the region or from other Syrian war zones—are stuck in Idlib and adjacent areas along with rebel fighters. A showdown will almost certainly cause a humanitarian catastrophe. Hundreds of thousands could flee in desperation to Turkish-held areas farther north or all the way to the Turkish border. Before 2011, when the Syrian civil war broke out, Idlib was the “forgotten province,” a place young people wanted to leave. Today, it’s a refuge for Syrians of all ages and places of origin—the prime destination for the country’s displaced. The war-weary arrivals have nearly doubled the population. And now both the natives and the displaced wish they were forgotten: by the rebel groups that rule them and by the resurgent regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Having finished off most rebel enclaves, the regime is vowing to retake all the territory still outside its grasp.”
Rudaw: Mullah Confesses To ISIS Allegiance, Responsibility For Erbil Governorate Attack

“A mullah who pledged his allegiance to ISIS and was in contact with the group since 2014 confessed the connection to Kurdistan's security forces and admitted to coordinating last month's deadly attack on the Erbil governorate offices. The Kurdistan Region Security Council (KRSC) released a taped confession from Mullah Ismail Susayi on Thursday, admitting his connections to ISIS and with the gunmen who attacked the offices of the Erbil governorate on the morning on July 23. "At the end of 2014, three young men visited my mosque who were connected to the Islamic State," said Susayi, referring to ISIS members and not the attackers. "After evening prayer, those men talked about Islamic State with me and praised the group." The trio had carried a message back to Susayi. "One of these three men, Abdul Manaf, told me once that I think Islamic State knows and loves you," added Susayi. "He asked me to talk to the Islamic State.”

Reuters:

Jordan Army Clashes With Islamic State Militants Fleeing Syrian Forces

“The Jordanian army said on Thursday it killed several Islamic State militants who approached its border as they fled a Syrian offensive that drove them out of their enclave in the southwest of the war-torn country. Army units had used “all types of weapons” to shell a group of militants who had come close to its side of the Yarmouk Valley in clashes that lasted nearly twenty-fours from Tuesday to Wednesday afternoon, an army source said. “We applied rules of engagement and members of the Daesh (Islamic State) gang were forced to retreat inside Syria and some of their members were killed,” an army source told state news agency Petra. After weeks of intensive Russian-backed bombing, the Syrian army seized the lush agricultural territory where the Yarmouk River flows that was once controlled by a group affiliated to Islamic State known as the Khaled Bin Walid Army. Jordan, alongside other Western and Arab backers, had supplied former Free Syrian Army (FSA)rebels with weapons and logistical support to defeat the militants until the rebels themselves were defeated by the Syrian army last month and lost ground. A Jordanian army source said the militants who fled from the border were then chased by the Syrian army conducting operations in the area to drive them out of their last hideouts.”

Iran

The Wall Street Journal: Two Years In Prison For Doffing A Scarf

“An Iranian court has ordered Shaparak Shajarizadeh, a 43-year-old woman from Tehran, to spend the next 20 years atoning for an act that shouldn’t be a crime. Last month she was sentenced to two years in prison and 18 years’ probation for removing her hijab, or head scarf, in public. This sentence was the culmination of Ms. Shajarizadeh’s persecution by the Iranian government. In February, she stood unveiled on a traffic island on Tehran’s Gheitariyeh Street, waving her head scarf on a stick. Minutes later police officers slammed her to the ground, arrested her, and carted her off to the Vozara Detention Center. According to the Human Rights Foundation, Ms. Shajarizadeh was forcibly injected with an unidentified substance and subjected to extensive interrogation. She was severely beaten and dragged by the hair for refusing to confirm the interrogator’s allegations that she was a “Western spy,” and for declining to sign a confession.”

Voice Of America: Iran Protests Spread To 10 Cities In Widest Unrest Since January

“Anti-government protests by Iranians fed up with their nation's economic woes have spread to 10 major cities, posing the biggest challenge to Iran's Islamist rulers since January's nationwide demonstrations. Images and reports sent by citizen journalists in Iran and verified by VOA Persian confirmed that street protests took place on Thursday in the capital, Tehran, and nine other cities: Ahvaz, Hamedan, Isfahan, Karaj, Kermanshah, Mashhad, Shiraz, Urmia and Varamin. Earlier reports from Tuesday and Wednesday showed anti-government demonstrations occurring in, but being limited to, Isfahan and Karaj. Some citizen journalist reports said Iranian security forces tried to break up the demonstrations with tear gas and by beating and arresting protesters. But, there were no credible reports about how many Iranians were hurt and detained by the authorities.”

Iraq

The Atlantic: After ISIS, Iraq Is Still Broken

“The week before Iraq’s parliamentary elections in May, chunks of black gunk floated through the gutters of Wadi Hajar, a decimated neighborhood in West Mosul. Men with missing limbs hovered near a truck carrying staffers from an NGO offering legal services, waiting to ask for help. One of them, Muhammad Mustafa, had come to the NGO to seek a birth certificate for his daughter, who was born while the city was under occupation by the Islamic State, which lasted from 2014 to 2017. A Sunni Arab living in a poor neighborhood, he’d supported his wife and two daughters by working with the Iraqi police—a risky proposition in post–U.S. invasion Iraq, as al-Qaeda’s influence spread across the region. When isis took Mosul in June 2014, Mustafa fled to his grandfather’s village in a southern suburb of Mosul. “They said the people who worked with police were infidels. They took more than a thousand and killed them, including some of my cousins,” Mustafa said. Mustafa remained in hiding for four years and returned to his neighborhood after it was liberated by the Iraqi army. But he didn’t know how he’d live: West Mosul still lay in ruin, and he had been put on a government blacklist, barring him from his old job with the police.”

Rudaw:

irkuk-Diyala Electricity Lines Sabotaged Again; Iraq Blames ‘Terrorism’

“High voltage electricity transmission lines connecting Kirkuk to Diyala were toppled by "terrorists" for the eighth time in the last two months. “The ultra-high pressure voltage (400 kV) Kirkuk-Diyala electricity transmission line was blown up on Thursday at dawn by an action of terroristic sabotage in the Wadi Ousaj area near the Anjana checkpoint, leading to the line being cut on both sides,” read a statement from Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity. The ministry revealed that in Nineveh — except in areas supplied by the Kurdistan Region — Kirkuk, and parts of the Saladin province are currently without electricity. The ministry’s electricity lines transmission company started repairing the lines later on Thursday. It is the eighth time that the same line has been targeted in the last two months, according to the ministry. On Monday and Tuesday, the ministry announced that major Kirkuk-Erbil lines were targeted “due to a terroristic sabotage action on the part of terrorist groups through planted mines” beneath a high voltage transmission tower. This led to blackouts in Nineveh. On Sunday, an armed group blew up an electricity station in the Hawija district, Kirkuk Now reported on Sunday. “Daesh blew up the electricity station of the Zirban village through a planted mine, causing all the equipment to go up in flames,” said Col. Hussein Ali of Hashd al-Shaabi’s Brigade 56. The commander added that ISIS has attacked the electricity transmission towers in the area more than once.”

Iraqi News:

Terrorist Cell, Of 15 Militants, Arrested In Kirkuk: Defense Ministry

“The Iraqi Defense Ministry has announced arresting 15 members of a terrorist cell in Kirkuk, in coordination with security services in the province. In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said, “the intelligence and security departments of Kirkuk, in coordination with joint security forces, managed to arrest a terrorist cell in Kirkuk, composed of 15 members.” In December, the Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced gaining control on all the territories that were captured by Islamic State, since 2014. Thousands of militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and the coalition was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014. Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks across Iraq against troops. Security reports indicate that the militant group still poses threat against stability in the country. The group still has dormant cells, through which it carries out attacks, across Iraq like it used to do before 2014. A total of 79 Iraqi civilians were killed and another 99 injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq in July 2018, according to casualty figures recorded by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).”

Turkey

Bloomberg: Allies In Name Only? The U.S. And Turkey Slug It Out

“Unprecedented sanctions imposed by the U.S. on Turkey, a NATO ally, capped a crescendo of reproaches between the two countries since an attempted coup against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan two years ago. The sanctions, against Turkey’s Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gul and Minister of Interior Suleyman Soylu, were in response to Turkey’s refusal to release an American pastor imprisoned in 2016 who the U.S. says is unjustly detained. However, strains had been building over an array of issues. The latest flare-up sent Turkish financial markets plunging. 1. What does the coup attempt have to do with the U.S.? For Erdogan, the failed coup of July 2016 remains a festering sore. So does Washington’s reluctance to extradite Fethullah Gulen, the Turkish cleric living in exile in Pennsylvania whom Erdogan accuses of orchestrating the botched putsch. Claiming that Gulen’s followers had set up a “deep state” by infiltrating security services, schools and courts, Erdogan initiated a purge of the civil service that’s cost about 130,000 people their jobs. American officials say Turkey’s evidence against Gulen, who moved to the U.S. two decades ago and lives in a compound in the Pocono Mountains, is insufficient to extradite him. 2. What triggered the most recent squabble? Evangelical preacher Andrew Brunson, an American, spent two years in a Turkish jail on charges of involvement in the July 2016 coup attempt.”

Afghanistan

BBC: Three Foreigners Kidnapped And Killed In Kabul

“Three foreign nationals have been kidnapped and murdered in the Afghan capital Kabul, officials say. The three were from India, Malaysia and Macedonia and worked for French services giant Sodexo. Police are treating it as a terrorist incident. Investigators told the BBC the trio were taken from their car on their way to the airport. Their bodies were found in Kabul's Mussahi district. No group has so far said it carried out the killings. Sodexo has confirmed their identities and said it was "saddened and shocked" to learn of the killings. The Malaysian national is said to be 64, the Indian 39, and the Macedonian 37. Kidnapping by militants or criminals gangs seeking a ransom has been rife in Afghanistan in recent years. Locals are most often the targets, but foreigners have also been seized. Two professors, an Australian and an American, were abducted in August 2016 while working for the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul.”

CNN: Confusion Reigns Over Surrender Of 200 ISIS Fighters In Afghanistan

“Over 200 ISIS fighters have surrendered to the Afghan army in the country's north, with some reports suggesting they handed themselves over to the military rather than be captured by the Taliban. Among the fighters who gave themselves up after days of intense fighting with the Taliban were the leader in the north of the Islamic State Khorasan -- or IS-K, as the terror group is known in Afghanistan -- Habib Rahman, and his deputy, according to a spokesman for the local Jawzjan provincial government, Mohammad Reza Ghafori. IS-K has fought for the past few years against the more established and widespread Taliban insurgency as they vie for influence and the Afghan government struggles to assert control. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement that 153 IS-K fighters had been killed, more than 100 injured and 134 captured. He added the surrender meant the Taliban had now cleared the north of Afghanistan of IS-K.”

Yemen

The National: Yemen Exports The First Crude Pumped Since Civil War Began

“Yemen has exported its first shipment of newly produced crude oil since civil war broke out in 2015, a milestone for the Arab world's poorest country as it seeks to overcome economic losses from the conflict. The 500,000 barrels of crude were from resumed production in the S2 block in the Aqla area of Shabwa and were shipped from the Rezum oil terminal in the southern province, the oil and minerals ministry said. The shipment was awarded to a Chinese petroleum company based on Brent crude rates after a global tender in which 35 companies took part, according to a ministry statement reported in the state-owned Saba news agency on Wednesday. The ministry said Shabwa and other oil-producing provinces would receive 20 per cent of the revenues from crude they produce, maintaining a policy introduced by President Abdrabu Masur Hadi after he was elected in 2012.”

The Jerusalem Post:

U.N. Yemen Envoy To Invite Warring Parties To Geneva On Sept. 6

“The United Nations Yemen mediator said on Thursday he plans to invite the warring parties to Geneva on Sept. 6 to discuss a framework for peace talks and confidence-building measures as he tries to negotiate an end to the more than three-year conflict. A proxy war is playing out in Yemen between Iran and Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015, backing government forces fighting the Iran-allied Houthi group. Iran has denied supplying weapons to the Houthis.”
Al-Arabiya: Yemen’s Security Forces Confiscate Drugs Coming From Lebanon To Houthis

“Yemeni security forces in Marib governorate confiscated a shipment of drugs coming from Lebanon, on its way to the Houthi militias in the capital Sanaa, according to the Yemeni Information Ministry. The Yemeni minister of Information Mouammar al-Aryani said on Thursday on his tweeter account that the seized drug shipment was hidden inside coffee packets. Following investigation it was revealed that the shipment was on its way to the pro-Iranian militia in Sanaa. Al-Aryani said that Iran’s support for the Houthis is not limited to weapons and ballistic missiles but it also supply the coup militia with drugs which the Houthis use to brainwash its members and have a control over them to throw them in the battle fronts, in support of the Iranian ambition in the region.”

Qatar

Human Rights Watch: Qatar: Censorship Ignores Rights, FIFA Rules

“The government of Qatar should change its laws to end arbitrary censorship of articles about sexual orientation and gender identity and revoke its Penal Code provision that punishes same-sex relations with imprisonment between one to three years, Human Rights Watch said today. Qatar is host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The private publishing partner of The New York Times, Dar Al Sharq, has repeatedly removed articles in the international print edition of The New York Times published in Qatar related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights. The Qatari government tells Human Rights Watch that it was not directly involved in censoring the LGBT articles, indicating that the blank pages are self-censorship based on what a publisher perceives as compliant “with the local cultural standards and expectations.” Censorship of media content because it relates to sexual orientation and gender identity violates freedom of expression when it discriminates against LGBT people.”

Saudi Arabia

Reuters: Saudi-Led Coalition Spokesman Says Houthi Militia Behind Killing Civilians In Hodeidah - Al Arabiya TV

“A Saudi-led coalition did not carry out any operations in Hodeidah on Thursday, a coalition spokesman told Al Arabiya TV, accusing Houthi militia of killing civilians in Hodeidah.”

Middle East

Arutz Sheva: Hezbollah Showcases Latest Additions To 'Terror Theme Park'

“The Hezbollah terror organization has in recent days revealed the latest additions to its Lebanon theme park which it uses to showcase its terror exploits and weapons. According to Hadashot 2, Hezbollah released a statement saying that new weapons that went into use during the Second Lebanon War were now on display at the park. The report also said that there is now a section of the park dedicated to SA-7 and SA-14 anti-aircraft missiles, as well as a section for military terrain vehicles. An additional new section of the park touts Hezbollah’s downing of an Israeli Yasur transport helicopter in 2006 during the Second Lebanon War, as a result of which all 5 crew members were killed.”

Somalia

The Star: Al Shabaab Kidnap 6-Year Old Girl In Gedo, Somalia

“Al Shabaab militants on Wednesday abducted a 6-year old girl from her family in Harbole town, Gedo region, Somalia. The distraught family said the militants came to the house and demanded for the girl.The girl lives with albinism. “The kidnappers stormed into the house in the middle of the night and demanded to be shown where the girl was sleeping. They picked her up from her bed and bundled her into a vehicle,” her father Abdiker Weli said. The militants who numbered about five spoke in the Somali language. Weli said they did not steal anything from the house. Besides the murderous atrocities, Al shabaab's mode of operation is synonymous with abductions. Most of the previous abductions were of youthful boys who were forcibly recruited to join the militant group as fighters, and teenage girls and young women who were abducted to be sex slaves to the militants. Though a new phenomenon in Somalia, abductions and killings of people with albinism in East Africa is not new. People with albinism in the region, especially in Tanzania, have been targeted for ritual killings. A section of people believe that offering some of their body parts brings good fortune. Other communities kill children with albinism in the belief that the condition is a bad omen. “It appears that Al shabaab has delved into the world of witchcraft to protect themselves.”

Premium Times:

Boko Haram: Army Chief Buratai Spits Fire; Warns Commanders Against Fleeing From Terrorists

“The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has circulated a set of operational guidelines warning Nigerian Army commanders of grave consequences should they abandon their positions in the face of firepower from Boko Haram insurgents. The 180-word memo, sent to all commanders at all levels, formations and locations in the nine-year-long war against Islamist militants across Nigeria’s North-east, was a direct response to the recent killing and maiming of soldiers and officers by terrorists, amidst renewed fears of a resurgent Boko Haram. At least two officers and 43 soldiers have been killed in Boko Haram attacks on military targets between July 13 and 26, a shocking setback that sent the country’s top military brass seething, PREMIUM TIMES learnt. “Recent occurrences in” ‘Operation Lafiya Dole’ “where units abandon their positions cowardly in the face of action” from Boko Haram terrorists “without reasonable resistance is worrisome,” Mr Buratai said in the July 27 memo to all commanders, adding that it “portrayed” them as “incompetent and cowardly.”

Shabelle:

Somalia: Jubbaland Says Its Forces Destroyed Al-Shabab Base

“A senior Jubbaland state army official says the regional troops have carried out an operation against the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab militants near Kismayo port city. Speaking to Radio Shabelle, Colonel Ali Goosaar said Jubbaland forces have managed to overran an Al-Shabaab operations camp in a small village located 80Km west of Kismayo. The village, Bula Hajji has been the nerve center for Al-Shabaab's operations in the region, according to the army colonel. Goosaar added that the state soldiers have engaged in deadly battle with the Al-Shabaab, which left at least two militants dead while several others sustained wounds. "Our brave soldiers have successfully carried out a planned operation on Al-Shabaab which resulted in the deaths of two members of the group and capture of their base," he said.”

Africa

UN News: UN-Backed Meeting Of African States Targets Terrorism, Violent Extremism

“In a statement issued on Thursday through his Deputy Spokesperson, Farhan Haq, Secretary-General António Guterres commended the Central and West African regions for the successful Joint Summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) on Peace, Security, Stability and the Fight against Terrorism and Violent Extremism, which took place on Monday in Lomé, Togo. “The Secretary-General welcomes the renewed commitment of ECCAS and ECOWAS member States to strengthen cooperation on key peace and security challenges and is particularly encouraged by the decision to sign a Criminal Cooperation Agreement by the end of 2018 and to establish a ministerial committee to monitor implementation of the Summit decisions,” said Mr. Haq. The UN chief also welcomed the decision of the Heads of State and Government from the two regions to hold consultations in the margins of the African Union summit in January, “and to meet every two years to review implementation of the decisions contained in the Lomé Declaration adopted at the Joint Summit.” “The Secretary-General reiterates the commitment of the United Nations to continue to promote inter-regional cooperation and support the implementation of the decisions adopted by the ECCAS-ECOWAS Summit,” the statement concluded.”

North Korea

Bloomberg: In Asia, Pompeo Faces Struggle To Squeeze North Korea, Iran

“Secretary of State Michael Pompeo arrived in Singapore for a regional summit that will spotlight the challenges facing U.S. efforts to keep up international pressure against both North Korea and Iran. Pyongyang has been sending representatives to meetings hosted by the Association of Southeast Asia Nations since 2000, but this year they’ll enjoy enhanced diplomatic prominence after President Donald Trump’s summit with Kim Jong Un in the city-state two months ago. The Iranians, meanwhile, signed a friendship pact Thursday with a 10-member regional bloc. Both nations are engaged in fraught disputes with the U.S. over their weapons programs and nuclear aspirations. And both have seen success in courting global support despite Trump’s effort to pressure them. Underscoring the issue: North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho was slated to fly on to Tehran after the summit. He arrived Friday in Singapore on an Air China Ltd. plane.”

United Kingdom

Al Bawaba: How Is Britain Living With Its ISIS Returnees? (Part III)

“This is Part III of a three part series exploring ISIS returnees in Belgium, France and the United Kingdom. The words “The Beatles” have been splashed across the UK’s headlines for the past few days. But it is for a discomforting reason that has nothing to do with the British music legends. The Beatles in question were a four-man group of young British men who travelled to Syria to join ISIS. And while 800 UK citizens left to join the terrorist group, none of the others received anything like the attention that this quartet did. The Beatles were the group that oversaw the killings of western hostages in ISIS’s propaganda videos. Two American journalists – Steven Sotloff and James Foley, American aid worker Peter Kassig, and British aid workers Alan Henning and David Haines – were beheaded in the grim snuff films. The group are believed to have been responsible for the deaths of twenty-seven hostages in total. Now the Beatles are all out of the action. But their members were removed from the battlefield in different ways. And in each case, Britain’s response has been determined by circumstance, rather than by any fixed policy. But while a degree of adaptation is always necessary, British counter-terrorism policy seems to be increasingly held hostage to the political mood. And this can make for risky repercussions. The public debate over how to respond to the ISIS threat has been open and lively.”
The Independent: Police Arrest 20-Year-Old In London On Suspicion Of Plotting Terrorist Acts

“A 20-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of plotting terrorist acts, Scotland Yard said. Armed police led an operation that resulted in the suspect being arrested in northwest London at around 6.30pm on 2 August. . Firearm and counter-terrorism officers carried out a pre-planned operation to conduct the arrest. No-one was injured. The man is currently being held on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, contrary to section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006. He is in custody at a south London police station, police said. A statement from the Metropolitan Police said: “Detectives from the Met Police Counter Terrorism Command, assisted by the Met Police Firearms Command carried out a pre-planned operation which resulted in a 20-year-old man from north west London being arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts, contrary to section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.”

Southeast Asia

Reuters: Philippines Nabs Cleric Over Bomb Claimed By Islamic State

“The Philippine military said on Thursday it has arrested a Muslim cleric who knew in advance about a bomb that killed 11 people on Basilan island in an attack earlier this week that raised fears of Islamic State involvement. Acting on a tip off, scout rangers raided the home of Indalin Jainul, alias Ustadz Abdulgani, 12 hours after Tuesday’s bombing in Lamitan town. Informants told the army that the cleric, 58, knew the bomb would go off and had been helping foreign operatives reach Basilan from Malaysia, according to army spokesman Gerry Besana. A grenade was found at his home. Jainul is charged with multiple murder and illegal possession of explosives. His family protested what they said were trumped-up charges. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack which killed five militias, a soldier, and four civilians, including a child, calling it a “martyrdom operation”. The driver of a van carrying the device also died. He was believed to have detonated the device when questioned at the checkpoint. Defense and military officials dismissed the Islamic State claim as propaganda, with Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana describing the claim as “just speculation”.”

Technology

The Wall Street Journal: Don’t Be Naive, Google

“Intent on abiding by its founding motto, “Don’t Be Evil,” Google announced in June that it would not participate in a U.S. military program seeking to apply artificial intelligence to drone technology. This week it has been reported that Google is attempting to reintroduce its flagship search engine into China, albeit with censoring and surveillance filters demanded by the Chinese government. This does not compute. Eight years ago, Google co-founder Sergey Brin pulled the company out of China, telling The Wall Street Journal that “in some aspects of their policy, particularly with respect to censorship, with respect to surveillance of dissidents, I see some earmarks of totalitarianism.” That was true then and is more so now. China is famously using advanced technology to erect an Orwellian surveillance state. But like other companies, Google has concluded it cannot sacrifice access to China’s market, which is now dominated by the Chinese search-engine company Baidu. That means conforming itself to China’s rules on social control of the internet. Google hasn’t decided whether to proceed with this search-engine initiative, but clearly no license will be granted unless the company agrees to give Chinese censors access to the site’s vast internal information.”

The New York Times: How Fake Influence Campaigns on Facebook Lured Real People

“In late June, after word emerged that the white supremacists who organized last year’s deadly “Unite the Right” march in Charlottesville, Va., had applied to hold an anniversary rally this month in Washington, a local political activist, Brendan Orsinger, saw that a Facebook event page had been created for a counterprotest. He recognized it as trouble. Little did he know just how much. The event page was created on June 24 by a feminist-oriented Facebook political page called Resisters. On June 25, Mr. Orsinger reached out via Facebook to a Resisters administrator he knew as “Mary,” whom he had messaged before, to discuss how Washington-based activists resent it when national activists crowd out local organizers on an event. Mr. Orsinger gently suggested to “Mary” that the Resisters “get buy-in from local DC organizers of color first,” like the local Black Lives Matter chapter, for the counterprotest, according to messages reviewed by The New York Times. “Mary” appeared receptive, he said. So Mr. Orsinger connected several other Washington-based activist groups to help flesh out the event page the Resisters had started.”